1.0 Field of the Invention
The invention relates to ceiling fans and to systems for attaching a blade mounting ring, to which the ceiling fan blades are attached, to a rotatable ceiling fan motor component. More particularly, the invention relates to a convenient system for suspending a blade mounting ring to the ceiling fan motor prior to final attachment of the blade mounting ring to the motor. That is, the installer can perform the blade mounting ring installation, with the ceiling fan blades secured thereto, without having to manually support the blade mounting ring assembly during the attachment procedure.
2.0 Related Art
Installation of a ceiling fan, and more particularly the attachment of ceiling fan blades to a mounted ceiling fan motor, is a cumbersome and time consuming process. Typically, the installation first requires attachment of the ceiling fan motor, and associated motor housing components, to the ceiling without the fan blades attached to the fan, followed by attachment of each of the fan blades to a rotatable component of the ceiling fan motor. Many systems and techniques for connecting the ceiling fan blades to the motor are known. For example, the ceiling fan blades may include blade irons having a typically arcuate mounting portion with screw holes to enable attachment of the blade irons to the motor component. Another type of system includes the attachment of blade ramps to the rotatable motor component and then securing each fan blade directly to each blade ramp. Each of these arrangements requires an installer to insert two or three screws for each fan blade while the fan blades are in an overhead position. The process can be strenuous and time consuming since there are typically four or five fan blades for a single ceiling fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,310, issued to Pearce, describes a ceiling fan where a blade mounting ring is attachable to a rotatable rotor portion of an electric motor. The blade mounting ring is annular in shape and includes a plurality of openings for receiving screws or bolts to attach the blade irons thereto. The blade ring also includes four arcuately shaped openings disposed about the periphery of the ring, with elastomeric grommets insertable in the arcuate openings. Threaded bolts are insertable through the grommets and screwed into threaded openings within the rotatable motor component. The blade ring is thus fixedly attached to the rotatable motor component for rotation therewith and is supported below the motor through the elastomeric grommets to thus isolate vibrations. Typically, the blade ring is attached to the motor prior to attachment of any of the fan blades to the ring, although sometimes an installer may first attach one or more of the ceiling fan blades to the blade ring and then raise the entire assembly to the underside of the ceiling fan motor so that the entire blade ring with attached blade assembly can be fastened to the motor. Each of these mounting techniques has several disadvantages.
For example, if the blade ring is first mounted to the rotatable motor component prior to attachment of the fan blades to the blade ring, the installer must first position the blade ring in alignment with the motor mounting holes with one hand in an overhead position, then insert each of the threaded bolts through the grommets, and then screw the bolts to the motor. Thereafter, each fan blade is separately attached to the ceiling-mounted blade ring. The number of separate mounting steps in an overhead position is extensive, particularly where four or five fan blades are attached. If, on the other hand, the installer tries to first attach the fan blades to the ring, prior to ring mounting, the installer must then raise the entire fan blade assembly and support the assembly with one hand while attempting to bolt or screw the blade ring to the motor component. Either method poses an extremely cumbersome and difficult procedure for the installer.
Thus, a need has arisen to provide an easier, quicker, less cumbersome and strenuous procedure to attach ceiling fan blades to a rotatable motor component of a ceiling fan.